Matching mitts here!

December 12, 2023
I’ve just finished about 4 projects and now have nothing to knit! Picked up yarn today, and hope to work on this over the holidays. I went with a light gray with very slight heathering, to give some nice depth to the finish piece.

I’m going to use the short row ideas from THIS project, every 6 rows, as suggested, to add shoulder shaping. First time doing german short rows, but it looks like they will be much easier to see when you come back to them later. I also plan to eliminate the ribbed edge - I like the projects with the scalloped edging created by jumping straight into the cables.

Also, I want the neckline to come up to about collarbone level, then have a cowl neckline that is large enough to dip down in front. I’ll probably use a combination of smaller needles, fewer stitches picked up and 2x2 ribbing, then larger needles, increases and reverse stockinette. Luckily, the collar is knit in the round and I can try on as I go for those choices.
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CO for my size should be 71, but there are 5 edge stitches, so I will CO 66, with crochet provisional CO.

Slip first stitch of right side rows, for neckline pick up.

Short rows are after every cable row: placed marker after the 6th stitch on the right side.
After cable rows, purl back to marker, turn and GSR, knit to end, purl back and pick up GSR, continue to end. Do not count the short row.

December 13
End of the first ball, 3.5 repeats.

December 21
I’ve reached 55” length, which goes around my arms nicely without much stretching. 15 repeats… It must be because of the extra short rows.

December 22
Finished grafting. Picked up 90 slipped stitched edge with 7mm.

December 26
I had a bunch of cables, then ribbing, then reverse stockinette, and it was all just a lot if bother for nothing, as it was all covered by the cowl, which didn’t fold where I wanted it. Ripped out to pick up again. I’m switching to plain stockinette, with decreased needle sizes and a little bit of initial shaping.

New neck:

Pick up 90, Knit 2 rounds stockinette.
(K7, k2tog) around
Knit 5 rounds stockinette.
(K6, k2tog) around
Knit 5 rounds.

Switch to 6mm needles
REVERSE DIRECTION and knit 20 rounds stockinette (knit now on the inside for folded collar) or purl the remaining rounds, your choice.

Switch to 7mm, Knit 1 round
(K7, inc 1) around
Knit 10 rounds.

Switch to 8mm needles, k 1 round
(K8, inc 1) around
K 4 rounds
(K9, inc 1) around
Knit 1 round, adjusting to 96 stitches.

December 28
I had the whole thing finished with loads more increases and a seed stitch border, but it was too huge and the border still flipped. So I ripped back to the above count.

New idea: make some graduated seed stitch rows to make something of a pattern while slowly incorporating purls, to prevent the edge flipping. I made up a quick triangular purl pattern, see photos. It was great.

Lastly, it’s not quite as long as I’d like, so I picked up at the bottom edge and knit seed stitch for 6 rounds.

I picked up too many and made the edge slightly ruffled, but that’s ok.

I think I like it!